Union Slough National Wildlife Area

 nature conservation park / area  Add category

 Upload a photo

Established in 1937 to provide a refuge and breeding ground for waterfowl and other migratory birds. The actual slough is all that remains of a pre-glacial riverbed, and its name is derived from the connection or "union" of two watersheds: the Blue Earth River of Minnesota and the East Fork of the Des Moines River. The terrain is nearly flat, allowing the flow of the water to be determined by the direction of the wind at times.

The refuge is on the eastern edge of the tallgrass prairie region of the Northern Great Plains an area known for its agriculture. This 3,334-acre refuge surrounded by a sea of corn and soybeans provides vital habitat for a variety of plants and animals dependent upon tallgrass prairie and wetland habitats.

One of six US National Wildlife Areas.

www.fws.gov/midwest/unionslough/